Horizontal Life Table Characteristics of the Malaria Vectors Anopheles Culicifacies and Anopheles Stephensi (Diptera: Culicidae)1

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Abstract
Complete horizontal life tables were compiled for replicated cohorts of laboratory-adapted Anopheles culicifacies and An. stephensi, held under controlled insectary conditions of 28 ± 2°C, 70 ± 10% RH and 16L:8D photoperiod. An. culicifacies had higher immature survivorship, but required a longer period to complete larval development. Life expectancy at emergence for female An. culicifacies was 12.2 days, significantly longer than for female An. stephensi, which was 8.1 days. Conversely, An. culicifacies males were shorter-lived (6.8 days) than were An. stephensi males (8.0 days). Life expectancy for females at 10 days (the hypothetical minimal age for the completion of Plasmodium sporogony at experimental temperatures) was 5.5 and 2.7 days for An. culicifacies and An. stephensi, respectively. The net reproductive rates, mean generation times and instantaneous rates of increase were, respectively, 51.2, 25.6 and 0.153 for An. culicifacies and 45.2, 19.9 and 0.190 for An. stephensi. Results are discussed in the context of malaria transmission and genetical control.